Homemade Cheese-Its
Adapted from Good Food Stories by Casey Barger
Ingredients
1 8-ounce block extra sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) cubed unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (120 grams; 4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cheddar, butter, and salt until soft and all uniform.
Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the flour. The dough will be very dry at this point, and that’s ok.
Add in the water slowly, and the dough will start to come together again.
Pat the dough into a disk, wrap tightly with plastic wrap (or Bees Wrap — it’s reusable!), and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Take the dough out of the refrigerator a few minutes before rolling, otherwise, it’s very hard! Roll each into a very thin (1/8 inch or less) 10×12-inch rectangle. Make sure the sheets really are very thin if you want to achieve crispy Cheese-It-like crackers.
Using a pizza cutter, or a fluted pastry wheel, cut the rectangles into 1-inch squares, then transfer to the baking sheets. If using a pizza cutter, use a fork to make the fluted edges.
Use the tip of a chopstick to punch a hole into the center of each square.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until the crackers are puffed and browning at the edges.
Immediately move the crackers to racks to cool. If they last long enough to need to be stored, use an airtight container and they should stay crispy for a few days. We highly recommend reusable silicone Stasher bags for storage such as this!
Fruit Dip
Ingredients
Using either a hand mixer, stand mixer, or by hand, in a bowl beat together the cream cheese and yogurt until smooth. Beat in the brown sugar and vanilla extract. Serve with sliced fruit to dip!